Daily Archive: May 19, 2017

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today announced the new rates for Goods and Services Tax (GST) after a meeting of the GST Council in Srinagar. Among a host of other services, the biggest tax reform since Independence will also affect your bill when you go out on a holiday, to watch a movie, or eat at a restaurant.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday asked the Delhi government officials to fight "the forces of disruption threatening human lives and values" while administering "anti-terror" oath to them. Anti-Terrorism Day is observed on May 21 but with two consecutive holidays ahead, the event was held at the Delhi Secretariat in New Delhi on Friday in which hundreds of government officers participated.

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response of Delhi Metro on a plea by a former concessionaire of the airport express line for early payment of 75 per cent of the arbitral award of Rs 4,670 crore in its favour. Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued notice to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and sought its reply by May 29 on the plea of concessionaire Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), which is seeking early payment of Rs 3,502 crore which is 75 per cent of the total award amount.

The Delhi High Court on Friday left it to the Centre and the Delhi government to decide on the issue of regularisation of unauthorised colonies, including the posh Sainik Farms, in the national capital. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Rekha Palli disapproved the matter going "back and forth" between the Delhi government and the Centre over the issue, which it noted has been "pending for over a decade".

Delhi Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai on 19 May said he would request Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to take serious action against the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials for demolition of a shelter home

4pm: AC restaurants and those with liquor licence to charge 18% GST, while 5-star hotels will levy 28%; hotels with tariff of Rs 1,000-2,500 to pay 12% rate, clarified finance minister, Arun Jaitley at the end of the meeting in Srinagar.

Restaurants with turnover of Rs 50 lakh or below to face 5% tax under GST and non-AC restaurant at 12%.

3.50pm: Transport services will attract 5% GST.

3.40pm: Live animals, fruit juices and meat will call for a 12% tax along with butter and cheese. Condensed milk under 18%.

Coffee (not instant), tea and groundnut and fish will attract 5% under GST.

3.30pm: Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac said there will be four rates for services at 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, similar to tax slabs for goods.

3.20pm: The tax rate on gold has not been finalised yet, he said, adding that the Council will meet again on June 3.

The Council in its meeting on Thursday decide the tax rate on 1,211 goods, keeping most food items out of the purview of GST. Bindi, vermilion, glass bangles, handlooms, hearing aids and handmade musical instruments have also been exempt under GST. A total of 7% of items have been kept zero rated.

While jaggery is exempt under GST, cane sugar and beet sugar are in the 5% tax slab. Bio gas plant, wind mills and kerosene lantern and coal will also be under the 5% tax rate.

The national capital saw yet another politically charged day, as Kapil Mishra came out with a fresh round of claims against AAP while Delhi minister Satyendar Jain filed a defamation suit against him and BJP-SAD MLA Manjinder Sirsa.

Sacked Aam Aadmi Party minister Kapil Mishra on Friday, continued his string of allegations against the party claiming in his latest ‘expose’ that AAP had received money through ‘hawala’ channels. At Friday’s press conference, Mishra used a power point presentation to back his claim that the party received funds from dubious shell companies. The ‘revelations’ came a day after a Delhi businessman claimed that he owned four companies that had provided funds to the party.

“The letter head of companies, who gave donation to AAP are forged. I challenge Arvind Kejriwal to tell Income Tax Department that the donation was received from Mukesh Kumar. Mukesh Kumar’s company is a bank defaulter. How can he donate Rs 2 crore to Aam Aadmi Party?” Kapil Mishra said at the press conference.

Trashing claims by Mukesh Kumar that he had donated Rs 2 crore to AAP, Mishra said it had been plotted by Arvind Kejriwal to conceal the identity of Hem Prakash Sharma, who is director in several companies. “Mukesh Kumar’s company is also VAT defaulter. Instead of paying VAT to Delhi government, the company donated money to party. Delhi government had issued notice to SKN associates, which later donated money to Aam Aadmi Party,” he added.